Egyptian candidate claims irregularities, wants voting suspended

Egypt’s leftist presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabbahi, who came third in landmark polls according to preliminary results, is to file a lawsuit over alleged voting irregularities, his lawyer told AFP Saturday.

Sabbahi “will file a suit with the election commission over irregularities” that may have affected the result of the first round, Mahmoud Qandeel, a lawyer with the Sabbahi campaign said.

Sabbahi came behind former prime minister Ahmed Shafiq in Egypt’s first presidential elections since a popular uprising last year ousted Hosni Mubarak.

According to votes tallied by the Muslim Brotherhood, their candidate Mohammed Mursi came first with Shafiq behind.

Final votes were still being counted and official results of the first round are now expected on Tuesday.

Around 50-million Egyptians were asked to choose Mubarak’s successor on May 23-24, with a run-off scheduled for June 16-17.—Sapa-AFP.